Remind me not to be on bad terms with life
by Shikumi
Summary: AU Mrs. Tendou didn't die, and she's back for her daughters...bad summary, xover with Inuyasha *Removed Announcement...*
1. The not so different beginning

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. All events and characters in this story are fictional. Any similarity with any event or person in real life is only coincidence.  
  
Author's Notes: Hi everybody! This is my first attempt at fanfiction, and I'm trying my best, really, but I don't get cool ideas often, so...apologies!  
This is an AU, and possible xover. I'm trying as best as I can to make the characters in character, but you will find more OOC. Genma, for example, is going to be way OOC.  
Hmm...oh, and by the way, I'm an Akane fan, and you'll find R/A from me, so...you've been warned. I'm trying not to make Akane into a goddess, but you never know. This AN is getting too long...Well, enjoy then...hopefully...  
  
Remind me not to be on bad terms with life  
  
A Ranma 1/2 story  
  
By Shikumi  
  
Kasumi hummed a gentle pleasant song as she moved towards the kitchen door, about to prepare dinner for her family. That was the room in the house she loved best, and she took extra care everyday to keep it clean and tidy, like one would take care of one's most precious possession. Not that she didn't allow her siblings and father to come even in the vicinity of the room, actually she enjoyed their company while she moved about doing her work. She just wouldn't be able to stand it, if her sanctuary was in anyway less than perfect every night before she went to sleep.   
  
Pushing the door open, she unhooked her apron, and put it around herself. She made sure her hair was in place in her usual tail, and walked inside. Immediately she felt the familiar, comforting feeling that always surrounded her when she stepped inside, and so she closed her eyes for a moment to savor that feeling, while offering a short blessing prayer. Once the ritual ended, she started working on her task.  
  
"I'm home!" someone announced from the door. Soon, a black haired girl, younger than Kasumi, appeared in the kitchen, wearing a pair of shorts, a loose fitting t-shirt and a towel draped on her shoulders. Her features were still childish, yet her eyes, while filled with life and excitement of youth, also held a touch of sadness in them, though one had to be observant enough to see it.   
  
"Welcome back, Akane," Kasumi replied, with a smile on her face. "How did your jogging go?"  
  
"Thanks Kasumi. It was okay, I guess," said the girl, "I'll be at the dojo if you need me, nee-chan."  
  
With that, Akane left the kitchen, heading toward the adjacent building outside.   
  
A few minutes later, another shorthaired girl greeted Kasumi in the kitchen, "Hey Kasumi, what's for dinner?" She was also younger than her, though older than Akane, far less childish, and her eyes were less innocent, but the love for life was still there, with the same air of sadness about her; it was much more difficult to see than Akane's, but then one would have to be crazy or very rich if one even so much as mentioned it, or one might find oneself working the rest of his or her life trying to work a way to pay her. Kasumi had to laugh a little bit at the thought; her sister had a way to make others do things the way she wanted, even if sometimes her methods were not exactly legal.  
  
"Hello, Nabiki. We are having miso soup, some vegetables, maybe some beef, and a fish, how about that?" Kasumi inquired.  
  
"Sounds good, can I have some dessert first? I'm starving. Oh, and I almost forgot, Dad wants us to meet him in the living room, says he's got something important to say. By the way, where is Akane?"   
  
The eldest of the three girls was about to answer when some screaming and bricks breaking were heard in the dojo. "Never mind, I found my answer," said Nabiki. She too left the kitchen.  
  
What would Father want with us, Kasumi wondered. Well, there is only one way to find out, dinner will have to wait, she decided, and headed toward the living room where the patriarch waited.  
--  
The dojo itself was a rather elegant building in its simplicity. The walls, which were made of wood, had darkened in color as the years went by, giving it an ancient look, yet the dojo stood firm over the decades. It was built in the garden, at the precise spot where the first sunrays at dawn crept along it, making the building look young again, ready to welcome life within its walls, while at dusk, it became silent and calm, the sun lighting softly the interior, creating a mystical feeling, full of jealously guarded secrets and memories. Sometimes, if one strained his ears, battle cries, and laughter from students of long ago could be heard, the spirits within the walls telling their silent story.   
  
It was also kept clean though it was clear that that was not by the hands of Kasumi. Whoever it was that cleaned it, he, or rather she, wasn't as careful as the eldest Tendou girl was when cleaning, but still did a good job at it, and it helped Kasumi a lot not to have to clean the dojo on top of the two story house they lived in.  
  
For the longest time, only Akane used this dojo. Just like the kitchen for Kasumi, the dojo was the favorite place for her, she could spend hours in it, working out, reading, writing, studying, resting, eating, anything. She would have moved her room over, but that would take up the space for work out, so she decided against it. Besides maybe someday the dojo would start accepting students again, and so would need to be kept empty of furniture such as beds and desks.  
  
However, it wasn't dusk yet, so when Nabiki neared the dojo, it wasn't the calm and mysterious aura that greeted her, though there was no way she would be able to feel auras at the conscious level. Instead, she was in time to see her youngest sister's hand come down in a slicing motion and successfully break a small pile of bricks in half.  
  
"No wonder boys think you're weird, Akane."  
  
"Yeah, well, the world does not revolve around them, Nabiki."  
  
"Maybe not, but they sure are gold mines each one of them. Anyways, Dad wants us to meet him in the living room. He's calling a 'family meeting'," informed Nabiki.  
  
"Now that's new. The last time we had a family meeting was ten years ago."  
  
"Can't argue that. Coming?"  
  
"Sure. I'll clean up the bricks a bit."  
  
"Really Akane, why do you break bricks like that? Last time I checked, there's never been a report of killer bricks attacking innocent humans," sarcasm was dripping off her voice.  
  
"Very funny, Nabiki, I'm laughing by head off. For your information, it's good to be prepared. You never know when some stupid moron with a head as thick as a brick will attack you," said the younger girl matter-of-factly.  
  
"And just as well for your information, there probably is some deity to whom all bricks pay their respects, and he might be planning revenge on you for destroying his loyal followers," the elder girl retorted. She knew her little sister was a sucker for supernatural stuff like that.  
  
Just as predicted, Akane's face showed fear for a second, before it was squashed down. Point to Nabiki! A smirk appeared on her face.  
  
Akane for her part was going to make her comeback, when she saw her sister's face, and turned red with embarrassment and annoyance. "I'm going to get you for this one, Nabiki!"  
  
"Ha ha ha! I can't believe you fell for that! Ha ha ha! So much for insisting that you are grown up! You are still a little brat! Ha ha ha!"  
  
"It could happen! And I am not a brat!"  
  
"Sure you are not. You probably won't sleep tonight with the lights off worrying the brick deity will come to get you!" Nabiki laughed even harder than before, and couldn't seem to stop.  
  
Akane was so embarrassed. "Whatever, Nabiki," she mumbled, "I still need to clean up the bricks before I go in."  
  
"Here, let me help," said Nabiki, still chuckling.  
  
"You? Help? All right, how much?"  
  
Nabiki made a suspicious sound that resembled grumbling. "It's for free this time, okay? Don't get used to it."  
  
Her sister openly registered shock on her face this time. "Right." A few moments passed, while the two girls put the larger pieces of brick away.  
  
"Who are you and what did you do to my sister?"  
  
"Hey!" Nabiki shouted in protest, "I do help around the hou..." That's when she saw Akane wearing a similar smirk to her own.  
  
"Ha ha ha! Pay back, Nabiki."  
  
"Why you little...!"  
  
This is a good day, thought Akane happily.  
  
Maybe Nabiki shouldn't have made fun of the brick deity.  
--  
At the table in the living room, a man around his forties or fifties sat unmoving, his face expressionless, his eyes the only feature belying the excitement coursing in his blood. He was sure his darling daughters would be pleased, even ecstatic, about this surprise he had for them, and for it to be a surprise, he had to keep a straight face no matter what.  
  
His eyes wandered again to the postcard on the table and read again the simple message:  
  
Soun,  
My family and I are back in Japan. Coming for a visit soon.  
Genma  
  
Finally, he had been waiting for this day for so long. He allowed a small smile to appear on his face. It was such a long time he last saw his dear friend Genma. Ever since his wife disappeared, now that he thought about it.   
  
Such a long time has passed, he thought. It was hard to go on the first few years. He had lost his will to live on, when he found out his wife had disappeared. His daughters were still so very young; he didn't know how to care for three little girls. And yet, they were the ones who were strong, who took over the house, and little by little brought life back into his heart.  
  
Soun Tendou smiled softly at the memories. He remembered little Kasumi when she had run to him with all the energy of an eight year old, and told him proudly that she was all grown up, because she didn't need mommy or daddy to help her bath anymore, though she was having some trouble with washing her hair, whenever she closed her eyes, she would feel she was falling. Little Nabiki stood next to her sister, announcing too that she knew how to bath herself, that she could brush her own hair, and that she could do sums and multiplications faster than anyone else in her class. Not to be beaten, little Akane had insisted that she was brave; she didn't need a night light when she went to sleep, she wasn't afraid of the dark, and her teacher at kindergarten had praised a picture she did of the family.  
  
That night, after everyone was sleeping, he felt his youngest daughter creep into his room, and asked fearfully and quietly if she could have her light on. He had wanted to laugh out and cry at the same time. He smiled at her instead and took her by the hand, leading the girl back to her room. Once there, he turned on the little light by her desk and stayed with her until she fell asleep. Before she went off to dreamland, she made him promise to keep it a secret, and never let Nabiki know.  
  
Two days after that, their mother disappeared.  
  
Things were a mess. The house needed to be cleaned, the laundry done, and the dishes washed. He was a wreck, and he didn't have the energy to pay attention to his daughters. The girls had comforted each other, though, and soon Kasumi had Nabiki and Akane helping her around the house. He was unaware of all the effort the girls put in, until one morning long past the time for school, he headed down toward the kitchen for a cup of water, and he saw his little angels curled together in the couch asleep. They must have been very tired, he realized suddenly, while his heart constricted painfully in his chest. They were trying hard to keep everything in order, out of trouble. He, on the other hand, had been wasting away, never taking his responsibility as a parent.  
  
Nabiki was the first to wake up and notice him. She was very observant, and must have seen his troubled eyes, for she walked up to him, and hugged him. "Everything is gonna be okay, daddy. You have Kasumi, Akane and I. You can cry if you want to."  
  
He hugged her tight and let the tears fall. He could also feel her little body wracked in sobs.  
  
The girls took over the house chores and had divided the assignments within them. He had his share of work too, the more tiring ones like cooking, sweeping and moping, until they were old enough to take over those and still do better than average in school. He didn't want to let them work too much, but his daughters had insisted, and encouraged him to go out more with his friends.   
  
Over the years, they settled into a comfortable sphere of living, and they managed very well in his opinion. His bond with his children was very special and strong, having survived many trials. He didn't know if he was good enough a parent, but his daughters seemed to adore him nonetheless, and they made him proud.  
  
Steps were heard heading to where he sat. As soon as he heard them, he hastily erased all trace of expression from his face. When his daughters were all seated in front of him, he announced his surprise.  
  
A loud scream was heard soon after, startling many people. A girl in New York cracked open one eye and wondered why people could be so inconsiderate as to yell in the dead of the night. She rolled in her bed, and went back to sleep.  
--  
"What are you thinking, Daddy?!"  
  
"Now, Akane..."  
  
"Don't 'Now, Akane' me! How could you?"  
  
"That certainly wasn't a very nice thing to do, Father."  
  
"But, Kasumi..."  
  
"Don't 'But Kasumi' her either!"  
  
"You can't do that, Daddy! We are now in the age of technology and science. Nobody has arranged engagements!"  
  
"Well, Nabiki..."  
  
"Who said you're allowed to 'Well, Nabiki' her?"  
  
"We don't even know the guy! Is he nice? How does he look like?"  
  
"Hmmm..." was Soun's intelligent reply.  
  
"You haven't met him," said Nabiki deadpanned.  
  
"Oh my! I don't like men that are younger than me."  
  
Akane and Nabiki looked at Kasumi shocked. "What are you thinking Kasumi?" both of them all but shouted at the same time.  
  
"I have a feeling he's younger than I am," offered Kasumi.  
  
"You're weird, Kasumi."  
  
"Why, thank you, Akane."  
  
"You're welcome!"  
  
"WAHHHH! Whatever happened to my girls' sanity?"  
  
"Dropping the engagement bomb can do wonders, Dad."  
  
"That was a sarcastic question, Nabiki."  
  
"And that was a sarcastic answer, Dad."  
  
Soun sighed heavily. They were surprised all right, but they weren't pleased. What went wrong?  
  
"Come on, girls. At least you can give him a chance. You don't know anything about him; you might even like him. He and his father are coming soon to visit us. As I know, his father made him travel a lot, I don't think he could have many friends. Please make him feel welcomed? If you don't develop romantic feelings for each other, I promise I won't push you. But you can at least be friends."  
  
However, whatever he said after putting a negative and 'friends' in the same sentence went to deaf ears.  
  
"Oh the poor little boy! He must be so lonely, growing up all by himself! Oh dear, I hope our house will be able to warm his hardened little heart!"  
  
"I promise I won't bill him for any help he might need the first week around here!"  
  
"And I won't use my mallet on him for the first month, even if he is a pervert, and he can use the dojo too, if he wants."  
  
"He must look so forlorn. Like a lost puppy looking around him insecurely, with watery eyes begging for a little bit of affection!"  
  
"No, no, Kasumi. He must look like an old, wrinkled bill, probably have spent months, if not years, without a real shower, and uncountable scars hidden by mud!"  
  
"Not that, Nabiki! I'll bet he looks much more like an un-repaired old dojo. His eyes will probably show how broken his soul is!"  
  
"The poor soul! What was his father thinking dragging him all over the earth like that? Doesn't he know it's dangerous?"  
  
"It's probably because they are bankrupt, so they don't have a place to stay."  
  
"Maybe their dojo was beaten by some challenger, and they lost it?"  
  
"Even so, doesn't the government have temporary houses for them? Surely someone would take pity and offer them some place to stay! What have become of people's morals?"  
  
"Yeah, how can they be so selfish? All the food and extra blankets they could've lent them to keep warm in winter!"  
  
"You don't think...? Oh no, I can't stand the thought of the poor boy out there facing all kinds of weather without a shelter or warm clothes to keep warm!"  
  
"What if he caught pneumonia? Or worse yet, tuberculosis! I think I'm going to cry!"  
  
Soun groaned and hid his face in his hands. Why did he have to bring that up? When would he ever learn?  
--  
While the Tendou sisters discussed spiritedly about all the terrible conditions that their supposed fiance could be in, a large limousine was on its way towards their home. From the shadows in the window, one could barely make out two people sitting in the back seat. It was a very stylish car, not one usually seen in Nerima. All those who saw it were curious as to why such a car would be in town.  
  
As the car pulled up at the front gate of the dojo, a balding man in an impeccable suit, and sophisticated glasses appeared. He stood aside to allow his companion to step out, and she did so with elegance and grace. She was wearing a pristine dress that showed her perfect figure.  
  
Both of them walked up to the front door. The woman looked around her with a faint trace of disapproval, while the man was indifferent. When they reached the door, the man knocked on the door expertly a few times, and they both heard a surprised yell. At this, the man raised his eyebrow towards his companion and decided to knock again. This time they heard hurried footsteps of about three or four people, before the door was opened to reveal a black-haired man and three quite beautiful young girls behind him.  
  
Their mouths started to form a welcome for the visitors, until their eyes shifted from him to the woman, when their mouths hung open with shock, the welcome forgotten.  
  
There standing was the woman that plagued their minds day and night. The woman they loved and missed more than anything in the world, except maybe each other. The woman they had dreamed every night of being back with them again.  
  
Mother.  
  
Funny the way dreams come true. 


	2. Strangers with familiar faces

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me.  
  
Remind me not to be on bad terms with life  
A Ranma 1/2 story  
  
By Shikumi  
  
As the inhabitants of the dojo gaped on in surprise, Genma Saotome was getting impatient and restless. The minutes ticked by, and yet their hosts made no movement to invite them in, staring at his wife openly. The problem with people like them is that they find rich people a concept too bizarre to accept, he mused. He coughed rather loudly in hopes to catch their attention, but soon found his wife's hand on his arm soothingly and apologetically. However, something had to be done about their shocked hosts.  
  
"Come now, Soun, dear friend. Surely you wouldn't want your best friend standing outside in this weather?"  
  
That seemed to snap the man and his daughters back into reality, and they quickly apologized for their impoliteness. Soon, both guests were ushered inside and led toward the dining area. The tallest girl and her father led the way making small polite talk, though it seemed forced, while the other two girls walked behind them. Had anyone bothered to notice, they wouldn't have missed the unmistakable look of betrayal and hurt in their eyes.  
--  
Upon reaching the table, Kasumi politely asked their guests to sit down, and hurried into the kitchen to prepare tea. She had felt the increasing need to scream and felt trapped, and so she fled again towards her sanctuary. There she calmed herself down and forced her tears away. Something must have happened, maybe some clue they missed, there had to be a reason, she told herself while boiling the water and taking out the tea set for 'special occasions'.  
  
While she waited for the water to boil, she immersed once again into her own thoughts. Why was her mother with that man? Why was she so familiar with him? Why did she leave them and then come back with him? She was so lost, that she jumped in surprise when the kettle whistled.  
  
Don't jump into conclusions, she told herself reproachfully. She put everything on a tray, and picked the tray up. She held her head up, and pasted a pleasant and unassuming smile on her face before walking out the door.  
  
The sight that greeted her though, when she reached the dining area, was not a pleasant one. Her father was valiantly facing an uncomfortable aura, trying to entertain the two intruders. Guest, Kasumi reminded herself, they're guests, not intruders. She could see that his father was making a great effort from passing out or burst out crying. Her younger sisters sat unnervingly silent to the side, masking their emotions with a polite smile like her own.  
  
Kasumi all but ran to the table and started serving the tea. It took sheer strength to keep her hands from shaking with anger, or lashing out at the unsuspecting guests.  
  
"Thank you very much, darling. Here, take a sit besides me," said the woman pleasantly, not unkindly. However, to Kasumi's ears, she sounded not much different from the big bad wolf about to pounce on little Red Riding Hood.  
  
Soun decided to speak up, "Girls, this man here is my friend and his...w...wife, Mr. Genma and M...Meiko Saotome. Saotome, my friend, these are my daughters."  
  
The man, also known as Genma, turned to look at the girls with a smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Mr. Saotome, ma'am," replied the girls in unison, with forced enthusiasm.  
  
"Saotome, I thought you would be bringing your boy with you, so that our children could meet?" Soun again valiantly stood up to a rather murderous aura that rippled through the room, this time the source being the glares from the girls. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he wondered how angels could turn to demons so fast.  
  
"Ah, yes, about that, Tendou, maybe we could make a little change into our arrangement? Not much, mind you," said Genma.  
  
Meiko continued, "I've missed my daughters so much. Soun, you've had them for over a decade, I want them with me for the next decade. I will not tolerate a no for an answer. They are rightfully mine too. I don't wish to make this into a scandal."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Now, now, let's not make a scene," replied Genma. "Soun, I know that right now you are going through a rather difficult moment economically, and I don't think in the event of a lawsuit, you'll be able to win. This is what we will do, I'll give you three hundred thousand dollars, more than enough to pay for your debts, no doubt. Besides, I'll be able to provide better for them. Surely you as a parent would want the best for your children? It really will be a pity to close down such a beautiful dojo, too."  
  
"...! You can't do this to us!"  
  
"Who do you think you are, to barge into our home and threaten us?"  
  
"Don't you have honor and morals?"  
  
"Hush! Children are to be seen, not heard! I will not tolerate such behavior from you, young ladies. Soun, what did you do to my daughters?" scolded Meiko.  
  
"Look here, you ugly lady," shouted Akane, but she was soon interrupted by a hand placed on her mouth and a stern look from her father. She was pleased, though, to find a shocked look on the woman's face.  
  
"This day has been quite shocking for us, please let us consider this for some time," pleaded Soun.  
  
"There is nothing to think about Tendou, give us the girls now."  
  
"I beg you, not them, don't take them from me."  
  
"No, Tendou, we want all of them."  
  
"We are not objects sold at a market!"  
  
A loud argument erupted in the house and the noise was excalating. At a look from Meiko, Genma finally receded, but not much. "Very well, Tendou, we take only one, you decide who to give to us. We'll give you a hundred and fifty thousand for her. You have one night to decide. We'll come tomorrow for her." With that, the Saotomes left the Tendou Residence.  
--  
"Daddy they can't do that!"  
  
"Akane..."  
  
"Please Daddy, don't let them take us away. Nabiki knows everything about law, she can defend us in court."  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
"No! Father, we've been able to come this far, please, there must be something we can do!"  
  
"Girls, I..."  
  
"It's all that stupid woman's fault. She is such a hypocrite and liar! She left us for that fat, ugly man!"  
  
"Nabiki, don't..."  
  
"That ugly, horrible woman, how dare she come back to shatter our lives, two times! Who does she think she is?"  
  
"Did you see the disgusting look she gave that awful balding man and he went all soft?"  
  
"I hate her!"  
  
Three slaps were heard, followed by a deafening silence.  
  
All three girls turned their heads, each with a hand rubbing the cheek their father had slapped. They were shocked, and so did Soun, it seemed. When he saw their faces, he soon felt guilty, but still steeled his heart.  
  
"You will not talk about your mother like that. She still wished to be with you, and you will abide by her wishes. That is final." His voice was harsh, and cold, perhaps a little bit too harsh. He was taking out his own anger and hurt on his daughters, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Without another word, he left the dining room. When he reached his room, he dropped on his bed and wept, until he fell asleep.  
~~  
AN: I have no idea what I'm trying to make of this...  
Meiko was just a random name a picked. I don't know many Japanese names, sorry.  
Sorry too, for extreme OOCness... and yes, I know this situation is kind off farfetched, but hey, parents would do crazy stuff when dealing with and about their children.  
Maybe Genma and Meiko seemed cruel in this chappy, but it was for story purposes...sorry...again...  
About Meiko's unwavering wish to reunite with her daughters, well, mothers always come up with strange and weird ideas to try to get what they want. She does feel certain amount of guilt for leaving her daughters, albeit a little bit, but she wants to make up for it, therefore her insistence. This is the best I could offer as an explanation...of sorts... 


	3. Sibling solidarity

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me.  
  
Remind me not to be on bad terms with life  
A Ranma 1/2 story  
  
By Shikumi  
  
Downstairs, the three Tendou sisters were still shocked from what just happened. They couldn't believe their eyes, or their ears.  
  
Akane was the first to speak, her voice pained, "Daddy doesn't want us anymore..."  
  
Nabiki had her ice queen mask on, and didn't show much emotion. But her sisters saw her hardened jaw as she bit her lower lip to keep from crying.  
  
"Why did that woman had to come back? Why did she leave in the first place?" Nabiki couldn't keep those questions back anymore.  
  
"I hate her, I hate her, and I don't care what Daddy says. She's come to destroy our lives. She was not satisfied with what she did ten years ago!"  
  
Kasumi looked at her sisters and sighed. "I am just as angry as you are, but moping all night about it is not going to help. Daddy won't say no to them." She sent pleading eyes to Nabiki, knowing she was more mature than Akane.  
  
At first Nabiki refused to acknowledge her older sister, but gave in with a defeated sigh. "Kasumi is right, Akane, we may not like it, but nothing can be done about it. To make matters worse, the dojo really needs that sum of money. Maybe not all of it, but it would sure help out a lot."  
  
"But Nabiki onee-chan!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Akane-chan, but that's the ugly truth. Life's unfair, I know, but there's nothing we can do about that."  
  
"It's only a decade of our life, and don't you remember all the good times we had with mother? We get to be with her again! Well, one of us anyways. She may be married to someone else, but she is still our mother."  
  
Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane felt the blazing anger fade away to give place to a numbing nothingness. "The kitchen has lost its calming feeling," said Kasumi after a great silence, and felt her heart constricting in pain. Her sisters looked at her. And they started crying at the same time, while they hugged together, offering support and asking comfort.  
As the tears slowed, they started to remember all the good times they had in the house, the heart-warming memories, the hilarious ones, and the ones they loved most. They talked into the night, the tears giving way to laughter at each other, with each other. It was their way to stand up after tripping on the road called life.  
  
The morning sun shone merrily into the living room and fell on three sleeping, angelic faces huddled together on the couch. When Soun found them, a smile found its way onto his face, despite his heavy heart, and for a moment he felt happiness again. His little girls were growing up, and they would become beautiful women, he knew. There would be no need for him to worry.  
--  
"So..."  
  
"So..."  
  
"Hmmm..."  
  
"Right..."  
  
Some things were hard to say in front of family, some even harder to bring up. But sooner or later they had to talk about this.  
  
"I'll go," said the girls at the same time. They looked at each other.  
  
"No! I will go!" they said again together.  
  
"No way! I am going and it's final!" they chorused.  
  
"Stop saying what I say at the same time!" they shouted at the same time.  
  
"ARGH!"  
  
"Girls, girls. Let's do this peacefully. Kasumi, you go first, why do you want to offer yourself?"  
  
Kasumi replied calmly, "I'm the oldest, Father, I've been with mother for a longer time than Nabiki or Akane, and I'm less likely to seek revenge as my little sisters are more prone to do."  
"Nabiki? Your reason?"  
  
"Well, Daddy," said Nabiki, "I'm more experienced than Kasumi and Akane about the world outside, I'm better with communicating with people and I'll be able to get more benefits from the Saotomes."  
  
"Akane, your turn."  
  
"Hmmm...Kasumi has already been accepted at med school and she's been wanting to go for ages, and Nabiki has only two more years to go before she graduates and her turn to take the exams, it might be better for her to stay in the same school. And I'm only starting first year in high-school, so..." Akane trailed off.  
  
This was harder than he thought. All of them had pretty good reasons and he didn't want anyone of them to go. "It's too hard to decide this way. Anyone got any ideas?"  
  
"We could write our names in separate pieces of paper and see which one is drawn out," suggested Nabiki.  
  
"It's a lousy idea, but it's the best we have, any objections?"  
  
"Nope, fine by me."  
  
They had their names scribbled and placed inside a hat. A tense silence followed, as Soun drew out a piece of paper. Nobody dared to breathe as Soun unfolded the paper and read the name on it.  
  
A knock came from the door.  
--  
"I can't believe they are doing this. What is the old man thinking? Don't they think they have enough children? And now a girl?" ranted a boy with a pigtail.   
  
"You know, ototou-chan, you might make a hole on the floor with so much pacing around," answered an older boy about eighteen years, looking up from his book for a moment and flipping his silvery white hair away. The pigtailed boy glared at him, "Don't call me chan!" and resumed his pacing.  
  
"He's right, onii-san. They are crazy if they think we want sisters anytime this millennium!" said a boy that looked very much like the pigtailed boy. In fact, they seemed to be twins, and they would have been impossible to differentiate, had it not been for the white hair and the rather cute dog-ears on the second boy's head.  
  
"Why don't we want sisters, onii-chan?" asked a little boy of about five. He had brown hair and a foxy tail and looked absolutely adoring.  
  
"Look," said the oldest of them, "I don't like this idea any more than you do. But this girl is one of Mother's daughters, and Mother wants to get to know her daughters again."  
  
"But she's our mother! I don't want some ugly wench taking our mother away from us," his brother protested.  
  
"If you would just use that worthless brain of yours, little brother, Mother was the girl's mother before Mother became our mother."  
  
"Whatever, she still has no rights to intrude in our territory."  
  
"Who? Who? Who's intruding?"  
  
"Shut up, Shippo. Don't annoy us."  
  
"Hey, I've got an idea!" exclaimed the pigtailed boy. "We don't want her here, and I'll bet she's the one begging to come. Let's make her life miserable and soon she'll want to leave for sure!"  
  
"It's a bit cruel, but I guess it could work..."  
  
"What? What? What could work?"  
  
"SHIPPO!"  
  
"This is what we'll do..."  
  
And so four boys went to work on their perfect plan. That wench would never know what hit her!  
  
AN: Well, that's that. Please be kind and review? Pleaaaaaaaaaaase...Thank you so very much. ^______^ 


	4. Meeting the boys, Here's Akane!

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.  
  
Remind me not to be on bad terms with life  
A Ranma 1/2 story  
  
By Shikumi  
  
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the sun shining brightly in the sky, puffs of clouds   
widely spaced in between. Summer had not yet given place to autumn, the hot and humid air   
made every being lazy and sluggish.   
  
The limousine sped its way merrily, oblivious to the uneasy tension between its passengers.   
Just when it was getting too long, it pulled up at the entrance of a huge mansion. It was an   
elegant European building, three stories high, painted white, with vines crawling up the walls,   
making the building look as if it grew out of the ground, instead of being built on it. The road   
leading to the mansion from the gate was dainty, providing beautiful views of the gardens. The   
gardens were taken good care of, flower buds here and there, some not yet blooming, enough to add   
lively colors to the green landscape. Marble angels stood amongst the flower beds, some in pairs,   
sharing secrets, playing games only they knew of, while others stood alone, quietly enjoying   
the nature around them.  
  
However, the young girl inside the vehicle was too concentrated on sulking to really pay attention   
to the scenery outside. Akane was silent all the way, speaking only when spoken to, answering with   
one or two words at a time, often with only a shrug. The ice cream parlor must be crowded with   
people, she realized, and felt a scowl creeping on her face. Her friends would have called her to   
go grab an ice cream, or go to the mall and enjoy the strong air-conditioner there, but no, she   
was stuck in a stupid awful car, on her way to a stupid, awful house, to live with stupid, awful   
people. "I wonder if they'll notice me gone by Monday," thought the girl, "well, at least the air   
conditioner is working in this car."   
  
Meiko didn't know what to make of the situation. Her baby daughter pointedly ignored her, sure   
she didn't say much, but to any question she asked, the girl only lifted her shoulders in an   
indifferent motion, while her husband only managed to ask uncomfortable yes or no questions. Earlier   
in the ride, she had reprimanded her daughter due to the frustrating yes's, no's, and occasional   
shrugs from the girl. To her utter surprise, the girl simply looked at her and said, serious and   
spiteful, "Children are to be seen, not heard," and nothing else, as if mocking her. Memories of   
the night before came rushing to her and she had the good sense to feel ashamed. She kept her   
temper in check and didn't press the girl for answers after that.  
  
Upon arriving, the butler opened the car door for them and out stepped Genma, followed by the two   
women. The servants greeted them at the door. Soon, though, four boys came running excitedly to   
greet their parents and their new 'sister'.  
  
Akane stood beside her mother and watched the boys, slightly interested despite her efforts to   
remain scornful. Didn't Dad say only one son? Were they lonely like they thought? Suddenly the   
boy with black hair and pigtail shifted his gaze to hers. Three other pairs of eyes turned to   
her, curious as well. She searched their eyes for a long time.  
  
"Akane, dear, these are your new brothers. Boys, your sister, Akane," said Genma.  
  
The tallest of them had long silver hair that reached past his hips. Akane couldn't help wonder   
how he would be able to keep his hair untangled. There was a dignified air around him, as if he   
wouldn't and didn't tolerate childish and immature displays of behavior. His eyes were eerily   
yellow with slits for pupils and were at the moment slightly narrowed in faint annoyance. Symmetrical   
stripes ran on both cheeks, giving him a rather exotic look, and had it been in any other circumstance,   
Akane would have been giggling with her friends about what a hunk he was. As it were, her current   
thoughts of him ran along the lines of 'what a freak'. "I'm Sesshomarou," he said.  
  
The next boy was the boy with black hair and pigtail. Ranma, as she soon found out, had stormy blue   
eyes, and the confidence with which he held himself, with a touch of mischief, and arrogance like   
all teenage boys, was enough to lead Akane to think that he was probably a troublemaker, and gloried   
in it. His eyes were closer to normal human eyes, with round pupils, no stripes on his cheeks. He   
had a rather handsome face, still boyish for the most part, the pigtail adding a very pleasant and   
attractive look to his overall appearance, but like his brother, this fact did not come to the   
attention of the girl before him, and she had already labeled him as 'Freak Two'.  
  
The first thing the girl noticed of the next boy was a pair of cute dog-ears on his head. She felt   
a sudden urge to reach out and scratch them, but quickly squashed that thought. This had to be 'Freak   
Three', though he was introduced as Inuyasha, what normal human had DOG-ears? White hair flowed down   
his back, and unlike his brother, whose hair was well groomed, silky and straight, his was wilder,   
probably quite a feat for any barber or comb that tried to tame it. Still, no tangles were to be seen   
in that mane, and somewhere at the back of her mind, Akane felt slightly jealous of his hair. He had   
the same air of arrogance as the black haired boy, and except for his amber eyes, slits for pupils   
and the ears, Akane was pretty much sure they were twins and probably partners in crime for any havoc   
they wrecked.  
  
The innocent pair of bluish green (or greenish blue) that looked up at her came as a pleasant change   
from the former less welcoming stares. Further inspection revealed a little boy with brown hair, paws   
for feet and a tail behind him. Nobody could really hold a grudge against such an adorable little kid,   
even temperamental girls with a reputation of being amazingly stubborn when they wanted to be. She felt   
an odd string pulling at her, telling her in no certain terms and feelings that this little boy was   
familiar to her. She smiled at him, and was pleasantly rewarded with a toothy one. "I'm Shippo! I'm   
Shippo!" said the little boy excitedly.   
  
"Don't be annoying, Shippo," came a harsh voice, while three hard, angry glares turned to the fox-boy,   
shouting 'Traitor! Traitor!' at the child. It didn't bother him though; he was too young to notice or   
understand.  
  
The girl lowered her eyes and glared at the floor. She felt...disappointed...at what she saw, as if   
somebody cheated her of a chance to have friends or companions in this awful situation. 'Hmpf, lonely?   
Don't make me laugh! I'll bet they are perverts like all boys,' She spat in her mind, 'Spoiled brats,   
I bet, too!'  
  
"Doso yoroshiku," said Akane politely, stiffly.  
  
"Welcome to our house!" replied the boys in unison. There was something in their voice that made   
Akane snap her head up and stare.  
  
'You won't last a month here, wench,' their eyes said, in amusement.  
  
"Thanks!"   
  
Her own were twinkling with determination, excitement slowly starting to rise in her veins.   
'Is that a challenge?'  
  
"Wanna be friends?"  
  
'Oh yes, little girl, you can bet on it,' the message was silent, but not ignorable, amusement   
reaching their smiles, lips curling in cocky, confident, mocking smirks.  
  
"That would be great!"  
  
'You're on,' and she let a smirk of her own show.  
  
--  
  
The inside of the mansion proved to be even more splendid then the outside. There was a beautiful,   
enormous glass chandelier hanging in the ceiling of the main hall. A wide set of stairs led to the   
second floor, before splitting into two stairs to the side, leading to the third floor.  
  
A great door to the left revealed a ballroom, decorated in baroque style, with some beautiful oil   
paintings on the walls. The door to the right led to the dining room, an amazing room with a long,   
rectangular table, and matching chairs. This room had more modern decorations; the dining collection   
was designed with bent legs and abstract forms, and yet were strangely stable. The room next to the   
dining room was the parlor (AN: hmmm...that would be the living room, used especially to have visitors   
sit down and chat and have a tea, and such...I don't have a better word to describe it...though maybe   
living room would do, I guess~). There was a set of expensive looking sofa and a tea table, also in a   
simple yet elegant style like the dining room. There was a picture of the beach with a palm tree to   
the right.  
  
A door that was camouflaged in the wall was the entrance to the kitchen, but there were other places   
to see, so Meiko steered Akane away from it, towards the second floor.   
  
The library on the second floor was an enormous room, filled with heaps of books, with comfortable   
chairs and couches dispersed through out the room. There were also a few tables for homework, and a   
low table for snacks and tea. A tea set was placed on the table, with one of the cups half filled,   
suggesting that someone was recently in the room. A few guest rooms, the master bedroom and a family   
room, where the family got together sometimes to sit down together, were the all what was left of   
the second floor.  
  
The third floor was made up of corridors that ran the perimeter of the residence. There were five   
rooms on this story, Sesshomarou's bedroom, the twin's bedroom, Shippo's bedroom (which was coincidentally   
the smallest), a playroom, and the last room was designated to Akane.  
  
It was about twice the size of her former bedroom, with a bathroom for herself, a king-sized bed that   
had flower covers and curtains. A closet that reached the ceiling was at the farthest wall at the back,   
with some elegant dresses inside. The young girl was told that she could buy new clothes to fill that   
particular piece of furniture. There was a desk positioned next to the window, which looked out into   
the backyard, a vast territory with a small forest not very far away. A long couch was placed to the   
side, with a lamp next to it, the perfect place for night readings.  
  
"Akane, why don't you make yourself comfortable, and you can go exploring. Be sure to be at the dining   
room at six, won't you? That's the time for dinner!" exclaimed Meiko.  
  
"Yes, Mother," replied Akane.  
  
The elder woman looked at her daughter one last time before exiting the room, leaving Akane to do as   
she liked until mealtime.  
  
--  
  
AN: I'm done with midterms...sort of...so here I am posting a new chapter...hope you enjoy!  
Kinai: I'm not from Spain~ I'm Asian, but grew up in Latin America...so I know some Spanish... 


	5. Dinner with family

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me.   
  
Remind not to be on bad terms with life  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Story  
  
By Shikumi  
  
Walking into the dining room, Akane found the other members already sited at the table. Genma   
and Meiko were each at different ends, Sesshomarou and Inuyasha were at one side of the table   
with an old man between them. The only chair left vacant was the one between Ranma and Shippo,   
opposite to the white-haired brothers.   
  
Once sited in the chair, Akane turned to look at the old man in front of her. He was a small   
man, round, rapidly balding and the kindest smile she had seen in a long time.  
  
"That's Myouga-jii, young mistress," a male voice startled Akane. She turned to see a butler   
standing next to her, half bowing, with his head half tilted as if waiting for her response.  
  
"Ah, thank you," she replied, unsure.  
  
"The mistress wished to inform you."  
  
The girl's eyebrows rose in confusion, "couldn't she tell me herself?"  
  
Snapping fingers summoned the butler towards Genma, and after a quiet exchange of words, the   
man came back to Akane and said, "The master wished to tell you that it is not allowed to talk   
at the table, as it is most unmannered to talk loudly during meals and if you wish to communicate   
anything, you should call me to pass your messages."  
  
Akane was too stunned to say anything else, while a few sneers were heard from the boys.  
  
A few moments later, a servant brought in the food, but only one tray was seen, placed in   
front of Genma. When Akane saw that no more food was brought in for the rest of the members of   
the family, she voiced her question, forgetting the rule. She saw a disapproving frown from Meiko   
and the butler hastily running towards her.  
  
"The master must have his meal first, and until he feels satisfied are the rest of the family   
allowed to eat."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Young mistress! Please! Manners!"  
  
"I'm hungry! If they didn't plan to feed me at six, why did they make me show up at this time?"  
  
"Silence!" roared Genma across the table. "Young lady, this behavior is most unaccepted from a   
well defined lady! I would expect that you follow your mother's manners regarding how to behave   
in a status such as ours. If you do not wish to wait until I'm finished, I suggest you go to the   
kitchens to make your own meal!"  
  
The mocking laughs were louder this time, while Akane bowed her head, obscuring her eyes with her   
bangs, hiding the malicious glint in them, and the evil smile that suddenly appeared. Only old   
Myouga saw it.  
  
Quickly erasing all traces of the smile, and placing a blank expression in place, Akane left the   
room, leaving Genma to finish his meal.  
  
~~  
  
"Young mistress! That is the dish washer, not cooking oil!" said a distressed voice.  
  
"Are you sure? I think it looks very much like oil!" an enthusiastic voice replied.  
  
"Oil is yellow, not blu...AHH! Young mistress! NO! BE CAREFUL WITH THAT KNIFE!"  
  
"Don't worry! See? I'm an expert with these!"  
  
"Young mistress! That can't be put into the pan! Stay away from the fire! Away! AWAY!"  
  
BOOM!  
  
~~  
  
At the loud noise, the family ran towards the kitchen, and found half of it missing and the other   
half of it destroyed and burnt down. Water was sprouting from where the sink used to be, a broken   
tube no doubt, and many servants were sprawled on the floor, having been blown away. Akane was   
standing in the middle of the kitchen, hair tangled in a mess, clothes in disarray, face dirty   
with a spoon in one hand. The chief cook's face was also black with soot, hair standing, mouth   
opening and closing like a fish. However, his face was quickly contorting into anger and his hands   
began to move in rapid movements, while his mouth moved even faster, too fast, it seemed, that no   
voice could escape his throat. He was enraged all right. Akane shrank away from him, as if the cook's   
silent tantrum was slapping her. That movement seemed to give the cook back his voice.  
  
"MY KITCHEN! YOU! We TOLD you to be CAREFUL, but did you listen? NO! 'It's okay' you say, 'don't   
worry' you say. DOES THIS LOOK OKAY TO YOU?"  
  
Akane's eyes turned watery. "I...I...I just wanted to cook something...I was hungry...sniff...but...  
nobody cared...and I was...so hungry...I...didn't...me-hean to!" and she broke down in a cry.  
  
Genma moved closer to Akane cautiously, wary of her suddenly. "Look, Akane, dear, don't cry. See?   
It's not so bad, the damage is not permanent. Besides, Cook has been wanting more airing in his   
kitchen!" he said in what he hoped was a comforting manner. The girl in question only wailed even   
louder. Genma began to panic, thinking 'Wrong thing, wrong thing!'  
  
Even the cook looked hesitant of himself, "Young mistress, I didn't mean to shout, please, it's all   
right, now I can have a larger kitchen!"  
  
"WAHHHH!" Genma and the boys had to cover their sensitive ears to block off some of the noise, not   
quite succeeding at it, while Cook winced at his failed effort.  
  
"Look at the bright side! At least the main course is nearly done; nobody will go to bed with empty   
stomachs! And look, you can have the only dessert left! "  
  
If possible, Akane cried harder than ever.  
  
In a last attempt to placate the girl, Genma said wildly, "Akane, dear, don't cry, I'll tell Cook   
to prepare your meal with mine, so you can eat at the same time with me from now on, how's that?"  
  
Just as suddenly as it came, Akane's crying stopped, and she flashed a brilliant smile in his   
direction, "Okay, it's a deal!" and shook hands with him.  
  
'What did I just miss here?' was the general thought that ran through all the heads of the people   
present. They were all gapping at the smiling girl.  
  
Heartfelt laughter erupted from Myouga-jii, and he laughed until there were tears in his eyes.   
All the stares turned to him, still in shock, not quite grasping what just happened. When the old man   
could control his laughter, still shaking from time to time, trying to contain his mirth, he locked   
eyes with the young girl, eyes bright with amusement. Akane returned his silent message with twinkling   
eyes and an innocently mischievous smile adorning her face.  
  
"Some fresh air will definitely do us some good!" said he, a good-humored grin on his face as well.  
  
~~  
  
Once back at the dining room, the boys and Meiko watched as Akane happily dug into her dinner   
with gusto. On Genma's orders, the first complete meal was brought to her while the others had to   
wait for Cook to finished preparing theirs.  
  
"Cook definitely is the best chef ever!" said Akane cheerfully, between mouthfuls.  
  
She offered half of the appetizer to Shippo, on the little boy's promise that he would give her   
his half when his food arrived, because the child was looking at her with a watery mouth. Soon the   
older boys were watching enviously as the youngest members of the family chatted happily away while   
enjoying a delicious dinner. Their stomachs protested loudly at this. It earned a snicker from the   
girl, not unlike the ones that they gave her earlier.  
  
Halfway through her meal, the new addition to the family raised her head and looked at the teenagers,   
and without warning, she winked at them, the triumphant glint never leaving her eyes.  
  
'Point to Akane!'  
  
~~  
  
AN: The end of chapter 5. Hmm...this story is progressing rather slowly, but I didn't want to have   
some of these chapters together, because then it would be too long...sorry~ Hope you enjoy! 


	6. Author's rambling

A letter from the author:  
  
Ahem...  
  
Ladies and gentlemen,  
A few days ago, I received a rather interesting review from Mr. (or Miss) taku, and   
when I saw this review, I was really really honored! Nope, I wasn't angered at all that   
it was a very energetic flame from a very impatient reader. He, or she, must think of   
me as having some talent, what with all the faults pointed out, this person still managed   
to read till the very end of the chapters posted! Hell, somebody actually thought that I   
was a potential author, pointing out the bad parts of my writing instead of blatantly   
telling me to stop writing!  
  
...Yeah, I don't buy that crap either. For days I was like, "can't you wait a few more   
chapters dude?" I admit it's slow...I like to describe too much...or ramble...like another   
kind reviewer for my other story kindly put it. See? That person managed to get his or her   
point across without insulting. This is fanfiction, it's supposed to be FUN for me and   
hopefully for readers.   
  
The point of this is this: I'm no pro at writing. This is my FIRST attempt at writing.   
If anyone can come up with amazingly great stories at first attempt, then everyone would   
be writing internationally acclaimed books by now. Also, I write, because I want it to   
be entertaining to anybody who reads it, something to read on a Sunday afternoon, without   
anything better to do. If you've read until where I've posted, and it only elicits a   
strong negative response to the point that you need to swear, then I strongly suggest you   
stop reading now and don't come back to this story, ever. It's not healthy to be angry,   
and I don't want to be a cause of it. Go read, instead, stories by Max-chan, Ten by   
Ranma_E (I think), or stories by Silver, Synthetic Emotions by Saro in the Inuyasha   
section, and many other great stores. They are great reads. You've been warned.  
  
The fact still remains, though, that my story has many faults. Even through the anger, I am   
grateful that they were pointed out (but not the way that was done....). That doesn't mean   
that I like faults pointed out! Let's be clear on that! :P All comments from you help me   
become a better author. My sincerest gratitude to you. \(^^\)(/^^)/  
  
I'll try to pick up the pace in the next chapters...sorry for being such a slowpoke...   
and thanks for reading! 


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